The present invention relates to portable self contained apparatus used for the application of bulk adhesive mastic material and roofing materials associated therein.
Roofing materials have been used for centuries to adequately seal a roof structure to prevent the encroachment of water and other elements. These materials have developed over time from straw, thatch and mud type roofs to shingles and roofing felt, along with metal roofs and composite materials such as tile. These materials are all designed to provide a cost effective method of sealing a roofing structure from the elements to prevent inherent damage to the building structure and provide a dry, comfortable living or working environment for the occupants of the structure.
One type of roof commonly used in the commercial roofing industry is a composite roof which utilizes a felt or composite roofing material applied over the roof""s structural surface and secured with an unheated viscous adhesive material such as roofing mastic. The roofing mastic serves to adhere the felt roofing material to the top of the roof structure. Once the felt or other impermeable material is in place, mineral granules or gravel or other similar materials are usually applied on top of the completed roofing membrane for protection from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, hail, snow and other environmental conditions.
One significant problem which exists during commercial roofing operations is the application of the adhesive mastic material to a roofing surface, which requires significant volumes of mastic material to be applied to the roofing surface. To accommodate transporting the adhesive mastic material from the ground level to the roofing surface, large cranes and/or self contained truck pumping units are required which are expensive and require a significant capital investment and trained manpower to operate. These self contained units typically weigh thousands of pounds and hold hundreds of gallons of mastic material in one or more compartments. Further, the pumping equipment necessary to pump high volumes of extremely viscous mastic material from a street level to a roofing surface is significant, and the horse power required and fuel associated therein is not cost effective for smaller roofing surfaces. One such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,347 to Morris, which discloses a roof mastic applicator which is used in connection with a large reservoir positioned on the ground level and interconnected to a larger pump and associated truck to transport the mastic material to a roofing surface.
Accordingly, a significant need exists for a portable mastic application apparatus which may be operated by one man and which can be used in conjunction with smaller mastic containers such as five gallon pails which can be transported quickly and easily without the necessity of heavy pumping equipment and trucks. There is an additional need for a system and method for applying the adhesive mastic material to a roofing surface while simultaneously applying the bulk felt roofing material on top of the mastic material at the same time, thus saving significant time and expense. Finally, there is an additional need for an apparatus which can simultaneously apply the roofing mastic material and a bulk granular material such as mineral granules, at the same time. Accordingly, an apparatus and associated method which are designed to address these problems are provided herein as set forth below.
It is thus one aspect of the present invention to provide a self contained, portable pumping apparatus which is adapted to apply an adhesive mastic material to a roofing surface, and which can be operated by one person. Alternatively, the apparatus may be used to apply sealing materials to asphalt driveways, parking lots and other surfaces. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, a hand cart is provided which is controlled by one man and which supports a small container of mastic material and an associated pump, which is connected to a discharge manifold. The discharge manifold is designed to selectively apply a predetermined volume of mastic material to a roofing surface, the thickness of which can be controlled by the speed of operation of the self-contained unit. The mastic material is generally stored in a small container such as a 5-10 gallon pail which can easily be transported by one or two men to a roofing surface, as opposed to requiring a large pumping unit positioned on the ground level or the lifting of a large bulk container with a crane or other similar device.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a spreading means which applies a consistent thickness of mastic material on the roofing surface. Thus in one embodiment of the present invention a spreader bar is interconnected to the discharge manifold in a downstream position and which simultaneously spreads the mastic material on the roofing surface as it is discharged from a discharge port or a plurality of valves. In a further embodiment of the present invention, an oscillating motion may be applied to the spreader bar which further enhances the uniform application of the mastic material to the roofing surface.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a portable pumping unit which can be controlled from pneumatic compressed air or other readily available power sources common to the construction industry. Thus in other embodiments of the present invention a small gas operated pump may be used or an electric pump with sufficient horsepower to pump a viscous mastic material from a container through a discharge manifold on to a roofing surface. As discussed herein, the term xe2x80x9cadhesive masticxe2x80x9d applies to all types of viscous, adhesive materials commonly used in the construction and roofing trades, as well as sealants for asphalt driveways and other surfaces. One example of such a material is an asphaltic modified bitumen adhesive such as modified bitumen adhesive (MBR) which is manufactured and sold by the Johns Manville(trademark) Companies.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a device which can apply a mastic material and a bulk roofing material such as rolled felt simultaneously. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention a support member is operably interconnected to the frame of the portable apparatus and which extends outwardly in a position immediately downstream from the discharge manifold. As the adhesive mastic is selectively applied to the roofing surface, the bulk roofing material may be rolled on to the roofing surface simultaneously, yet requiring only one man to operate the machine.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a bulk discharge container may be mounted downstream of the discharge manifold, and which applies a bulk granular material such as mineral granules or gravel. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention the support member may be used to hold a container similar to a fertilizer spreader and which can hold between five and fifty pounds of mineral granules or pea gravel, or other similar materials which can be selectively dispensed on top of the mastic in applications where a felt roofing material or other similar materials are not used, or used in combination therein. Alternatively, the granular materials could be dispensed independently with the same portable machine and without applying the mastic material.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention that the portable apparatus be self propelled to assist the operator. In one embodiment of the present invention, a small motor may be used with associated gears, chains or belts interconnected to the wheels to provide a constant speed of travel, and to reduce the fatigue associated with operating the machine on a hot roofing surface.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a hand held wand which may be interconnected to the discharge end of the pump in combination with the discharge manifold. In this application, an operator may selectively operate the handheld wand to provide a single, selective bead of mastic material along the lap edge of roll roofing in a predetermined location, without utilizing the discharge manifold and associated dispensing ports. In this embodiment, the handheld wand may have a trigger mechanism or other similar apparatus which is used by the operator to selectively control the volume of mastic dispensed from the wand.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a separate manifold that can apply a continuous bead of roofing insulation adhesive to and along the top flanges of a structured steel roof deck so to apply the viscous adhesive in ribbons on varying and selective locations and varying rates and locations for the purpose of installing preformed roof insulation boards.
Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, a portable apparatus which is adapted for applying an adhesive mastic and roofing material is provided herein, and comprising:
a frame;
at least one wheel rotatably interconnected to said frame;
a platform interconnected to said frame for supporting a container of the adhesive mastic material;
a pump interconnected to said frame and comprising a suction end and a discharge end, said suction end operably positioned to communicate with the container of the adhesive mastic material;
a discharge manifold in operable communication with said discharge end of said pump and adapted for being pulled across a roofing surface;
at least one dispensing port positioned on said discharge manifold for discharging the adhesive mastic material onto the roofing surface; and
a support member operably interconnected to said frame and adapted for holding a roll of roofing material in a downstream position from said discharge manifold, wherein the roofing material can be applied to the roofing surface over the adhesive mastic material while the apparatus is being pulled along the roofing surface.